Hey, hey, hey! It’s another Monday, and that weekend snuck past in a flash. Just as we started enjoying Babygirl as an only child, my son arrived home from Summer Camp…smelly, exhausted and totally blissed-out. We had to dump the entire contents of his suitcase directly in the wash, so I think that’s an indication of a great week. We’ll repeat the process for him twice more this Summer…aaaah, the life of an 11-year-old!
But enough of the waiting….I dropped the big orange bomb on you last week, aka, the Before shots of our Den….so today your eyes get to relax and soak up the neutral goodness of the new (if having them painted last Fall is considered new) gray walls.
Props for Sherwin Williams paint….their Super Paint line covered the orangesicle in a single coat!!! This room has a high-pitched ceiling, but we still got it done in just two gallons. (Pssst…Sherwin Williams puts their paint on sale 40% off twice a year, look for it!) Woop for $50 makeovers!
As you saw in the Before shots, I had about 87 six different colors testing in the room. After much hemming-and-hawing, my friend Emily convinced me to just go with her favorite gray, Behr ‘Ashes.’ (color-matched at Sherwin-Williams) After only a few rolls, I knew it was the perfect choice. The room still holds the cozy vibe of a Den, but was instantly brighter, calmer and more inviting.
All the furniture and the arrangement is the same, but it looks like a completely different room. If you’ve made over a space, you know there’s one room that becomes the
landing spot for reject pieces. That’s this room…hence the assortment.
Now that we’re all relaxed and zen-like, I’ll show you some comparison shots.
Once all 52 pictures in the gallery wall came down and the holes were filled, I couldn’t bear to turn my fresh wall in to swiss cheese again. I started really minimal, with just the three big pictures in the middle. But after a few months, the other pieces found their way to the wall, too. I love the mix and placement, and how clean it is looking in from the adjacent Living Room.
I finally ditched the western leather lampshade on the brass lamp, in favor of a more clean and modern shade. The lamp belonged to my grandparents and was actually a brass spittoon (no longer in commission)!
Looking into the Kitchen is a smoother transition, too, since both rooms were updated with more neutral colors. I love the peek of pink Breakfast Room drapes from here. Remember how I added ribbon to tie in with the new rug? Well it also perfectly matches the walls in the Den, helping to unite the two rooms. A concept I missed before with the orange and green scenario.
Oh man was I sorry to see the dumbass country-cute shelf come down! (I may have held a bonfire with it.) Removing it really opened up the wall, and accents the soaring ceiling, but also made me realize how nekkid naked the windows are. I think some molding or drapes are in order eventually.
Recognize my little Fig Friend? He was always in the way in the Breakfast Room, so we’re trying him out in here. He’s lost a fair amount of leaves, but appears to be holding steady now. Fingers crossed.
And we kissed the sweeter-than-sweet wet bar good-bye when our contractors enclosed the pass-thru (when they were here for this bathroom). I’ve got plans for the flimsy shelves and desktop in this little nook.
But first I’m looking at a new obstacle. Turns out when you go to Costco with your husband on a holiday weekend…big, unexpected purchases can be made. So now I’ve got to figure out the logistics of this mammoth and it’s components (yay for the new nook and shelves!) And yes, that is a ladder wedged under the mantle! Mr. Sugarplum was worried the weight of the black beast would bring it down. So I have this sweet set-up happening right now…
Oh yeah, and the old TV still sits in the cabinet on an adjacent wall!!?? See what I meant when I said ‘unexpected changes’ happening in this room? Whew….feels good to have you all caught up.
As for a Master To-Do List (they help keep me on track)…I don’t have one yet. First I’ve got to relocate one TV and mount another, and deal with all the cords and components that come with them! Right now, those flimsy nook shelves aren’t strong enough for a DVD, let alone all the crap a DVR and stereo. I’ll try not to think about the fact that the current floorplan isn’t conducive to watching TV over the mantle, either.
Let’s just reflect and enjoy on the biggest change this room has undergone! Three cheers for the power of paint!
So what do you think…was it worth the wait? What about TVs…do you have one over your mantle? Is it comfortable to watch when mounted that high? TWSS
it looks fabulous and allows all of your textiles to pop more! meanwhile, i have been painting orange….
It looks great! I really like what you did with the gallery wall!
WOW – feels like you can breath easier just looking at the pics. Love the color choice.
LOVE the after… it's fresh, but still cozy. Well done 🙂
I love the new wall color! Someday when I own my own home, I'll do it that color!
I don't mount my TV on the mantle because it wouldn't support the weight. So we have a mammoth bookcase/entertainment center. I wouldn't mind doing something a little more simple, but oh well.
I love the new paint color! But I am not a fan of TVs over the mantle.. for us it's just uncomfortable to keep looking up! Maybe you could find a cool console table or old dresser and put it where you currently have your old tv? Not sure how much room you have there.. ?? good luck! new challenges!
Sooooo fresh and clean and cheery! Love it!
I love everything about this room!! Where did you get those gorgeous pillows??
I love the new color – great job on the room. And I love that your living room is "lived in" – everyone needs a room to relax and feel comfy 🙂 Thanks for sharing with us.
Oooh la la! It looks fab. So fresh and still so cozy. Love the change! We do have our tv mounted above the mantle and honestly it hasn't bothered me that it's higher. My favorite is that in the winter we can have the fireplace going and snuggle up in front of both the fire and the tv with a good movie. It's a great way to have the focus of the room be on both.
I love that you took down the wall of smaller pics and opted for a smaller group of larger pics…it makes a good statement. I love the color – really brightens the space! http://www.styleoyster.blogspot.com
Looks fantastic Cassie! I love the new wall color. The loft we stayed in when in Charleston had walls similar to that color and I fell in love with it. Of course, hubby was cringing (he knows what's coming).
It turned out so great! The whole thing looks like a magazine! I especially love that black and white striped tray! It's like a pop of seriously awesome! 😀
LOOOVVEEE It! Bher Ashes is by far one of my favorite go-to paint colors ever since I saw Emil'ys house. And now that rug just totally pops in that space. Thought of you the other day- got some new fabric samples in and thought- man Cassie would love this print!
It looks amazing…so chic and elegant! Well done!
oh. my. god. it's fabulous, cassie. yes to the power of paint! love the transition to the breakfast room. (whenever hubby comes home from costco he quotes prices of their tvs to me. although we are in the market for one for our media room. i'm sure it's in a post on here somewherem but i'm too lazy to search … where did you get the basket holding mr. fiddle leaf? pam
Gosh, it really does look like an entirely new space. Beautiful color! What a difference. Well done, friend.
Beautiful! What an after!
Sherwin-Williams Super Paint is the BEST! I uses a flat finish and it is still super scrubbable! And the 40% off sale is THIS WEEK July 20-23…just FYI.
I used it to color match to Benjamin Moore Rever Pewter and I LOVE IT!
Love the new color, Cassie! Thanks for the tip on the paint…I have several rooms that need to be painted–and my dining room is dark red. :s Needs to change!
I actually love your gallery wall, but I totally understand that sometimes you just want to change things up a bit. Looks fantastic!
Power of paint, indeed. What a difference!
We have our TV above the mantle. I fought it for years but it just made the most layout-sense in the room. I don't mind the looking up, got used to it in no time. As for the wires and such, we had an electrician friend rig up a system so there are no boxes or wires visible on the mantle. Everything feeds through a hole in the wall behind the TV and there is an itty-bitty remote sensor on the side of the TV (smaller than a matchbox). All of our components (bluray, cablebox) are hidden away in a nearby closet. I think the lack of visual clutter makes a big difference when you have a big black box above the fireplace 🙂
Cassie, you need to ditch your day job and become an interior decorator! This room looks like it came straight out of a design magazine. I love everything about it!!!
So much better! I love it.
LOVE love love it! So clean and airy and pretty. Nailed it 🙂
WOWIE WOW!!! What a difference!!! Love the color, great job! 🙂
Oh the gray look so much better! I love it! It really simplifies the space a lot.
Ahhh… much better! I like the new frame arrangement too. Paint rocks!
Yay for the zen den! It's always a little like magic changing the paint color because it feels like it changes *EVERYTHING*! And let's be real here, I don't think there are many colors that you could've painted it to be crazier (c;
I could definitely snuggle up with a book in your den. Then I'd probably fall asleep and drool on your pretty sofa but I'm sure you'd be cool with that. Love the wall color!
Love the re-do!! I'm obsessed with all of your throw pillows! I think your new gallery wall is perfect! I'm also in LOVE with the tray on your coffee table. So fun. I think some broad striped curtains hung up to the ceiling would look gorg with everything else you have. I'd go with a neutral and a color stripe to add that punch of color. Just my opinion 🙂 Looks great!!!
Totally fabulous!! A perfect example of classic neutrals with some punch & pizzazz! Great job!
I love your new family room! I bet you feel like you moved into a new home. What color did you use from SW??
So great, Cassie! It looks so fresh and cozy. Perfect for a family room.
Hi Just Spiff It! We used Behr Ashes color, and SW colormatched it for us! 🙂 ps — your account is set up 'no reply', so that's why I couldn't email you back. Check out this post for tips on how to correct that:
http://hisugarplum.blogspot.com/2012/02/heres-bloggy-tip-for-you.html
That made a huge difference! I desperately need to repaint our den walls because at one of our playgroups Sterling and his friends got crazy with some ink pens all over all wall. If you like abstract pen art by a two year its cool but me thinks it needs to be painted over! Love the color you choose!
Love the new wall color! So calm and relaxing – perfect for a den. I vote to mount your TV on the wall were the existing one is and add a console. We just re-did an old dresser into an entertainment console and love it! Super easy project that made a huge change (plus lots of extra storage space with the kids is always a plus!)
http://moreforfour.blogspot.com/2012/06/loving-trolley.html
I love it,such a beautifull and cosy bright living room.
Love your style
Lulu
from tiny Madeira Island
Oh Im real happy with how this looks Cassie. So pretty.
Looks so lovely and inviting. I didnt even notice the rug in the room when it was orange, but I think that rocks!
Glad your son had a great time away.
Im a huge fan of those lists too…..you should see my daily one!
I think it looks great! Such a relaxing, calm color which is perfect for you to throw in a ton of fun colors like you're so good at : ) But don't lie… you miss the crazy orange… just a little bit?
The gray is so serene. I love it. I am curious though, you said you covered the orange with Sherwin Williams Super Paint in one coat but then said you selected a Behr gray. I am curious how you covered the orange as I have a large bedroom painted a dark gold that has to be repainted and I want to do it in as few steps as possible. thanks!
I can't even believe that's the same room! It looks fantastic!
Shut up!!! I can't believe how different the room looks with paint and different photos, it's like it's not even the same room. I had to go back and double check the before photos because even the furniture looks different in there! Looks amazing Cassie!
love the new paint in there! Yay for Ashes! 🙂
That paint color is fab! Much like yourself….. Xoxo
Thanks everyone!!! Just Spiff It — we used a Behr color, and Sherwin Williams colormatched it with their paint! 🙂
Wow! Love the new wall color. I have been contemplating going with a gray in my main living areas. I wonder if your color would be the right choice for me. I am going to have to get a sample and try it out. Thanks for sharing!
The new color is great …I absolutely love your art work…It really makes the space:) Glad I found your blog 🙂
New follower, Francine